Olivier, vodka, Putin's speech, family, friends, so many days off from work...Happy New Year!! :) I will spend tomorrow in the woods, in a secluded cabin, away from humanity and the drunkards! For me, 2015 was boring, some form of discontent began to arise, and there was almost no international travel. Things started out well in February with another amazing adventure in Russia, and then it would be another seven months before I crossed the ocean for a short trip to Southern France, to spend time with one of my closest friends. The face of LJ continued to change to become more and more yellow, jaundice was rampant and it seems that the era of intelligent writing and interest in travel stories is now dead. But I will continue to write and share thoughts about my journeys, social issues and cultural perceptions. My favorite photo of the year?

Here! It isn't the most flattering or glamorous, but it's the real me and where I'm most happy - in the snowy wilderness, with freezing temperatures penetrating my bones, covered in my bear hat with a camera in my hand. In these moments, I feel completely alive! Let's hope for more of them in 2016. A very special thanks to macos for organizing the most memorable adventure of the year in the Russian village, and for snapping this random photo of me.

My most viewed story of 2015? "How to Spot a Russian", receiving 843 comments - the most in this blog's history. I wrote this post in less than 10 minutes, it required almost no brain power yet somehow fed the masses who crave yellow and banal content, which I try to keep at a minimum in this blog.

I want to thank all of you for your dedication to my stories, for enduring the long texts that I write, and mostly for providing me with so many comments, interesting discussions and observations from which I continually learn. I wish you all a wonderful holiday, surrounded by loved ones, smiling children who awake to find Ded Moroz's deliveries and a lot of happiness and cheer!

In 2016, I hope for more stability, not only in my life but for the world as a whole.

Yellow - this means scandalous, or sensationalist headlines. People focus on crazy topics, become wild over political posts. Do you ever look at the main page of LJ? Almost all of the stories to which people are attracted relate to female bloggers showing their boobs and ass, fitness posts, politics and horrible stories about men and dating. :)) I prefer more intelligent and thought provoking content.

I love to see on TV a firework in London and sing Auld Lang Syne with a crowd there. We will have lamb leg (already in the oven) and rise a glas with something nice, but not a champagne, watch TV and sleep.